Updated 12:05 pm, Friday, March 15, 2013

A conversation with Chef Nedra Harris, Chart House at the Tower of the Americas

1 / 1

Back to Gallery

Chef Nedra Harris has only one thing to say about being a contestant on the new season of Fox's “Hell's Kitchen”: Watch and see.

The Detroit native moved to Chicago after high school to attend Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. When Disney representatives came to the school to interview prospective chefs, Harris got a job and moved to Orlando.

“Nobody believed me until they saw pictures of me with Mickey Mouse in a chef's hat,” she said.

A short return to Chicago followed, but by then Harris' parents had moved to San Antonio and she wanted to be near them. For the past five years, Harris has worked at the Chart House restaurant in the Tower of the Americas.

Harris talked about her love of cooking, Chart House and exactly what she thinks of the show's star, Gordon Ramsay.

Slow Cooker Breakfast Bake Is The Best Decision You'll Make This WeekendDelish

This Chicken Has A Crazy Secret IngredientDelish

Crescent Breakfast Squares Win The Brunch GameDelish

Can You Handle LIQUID S'MORES?!Delish

Reason #3,897 To Love Your Slow Cooker Louisiana Ribs Are TheDelish

How to Decoratively Cut FruitMyRecipes

Mom vs Drive-Thru VERTICALMyRecipes

How to Make Perfect Fried ShrimpMyRecipes

How to Make Fish TacosMyRecipes

How to Make Greek Baked ZitiMyRecipes

These Smashed Sweet Potatoes Are Insanely GoodDelish

Snack Smarter With Keto Fat BombsDelish

Chicken Pot Pie Noodles Are An Instant Weeknight ClassicDelish

This Is Our New Favorite Way To BrunchDelish

I started cooking as a little kid. My mom used to always leave tuna casserole in the fridge, and I was just done with it. I saw some chicken in the freezer, so I decided to cook that and invite my friends over to eat.

When I was in culinary school I just started making stuff, coming up with my own stuff, and it came natural. I realized I don't need a piece of paper to tell me how to cook.

More Information

More information

Chart House San Antonio is at the Tower of the Americas in HemisFair Park, 601 Tower of the Americas Way, 210-223-3101. Menus are available at www.chart-house.com. More info and updates are posted on Facebook, www.facebook.com/toweroftheamericas.

Follow Harris on “Hell's Kitchen” at 7 p.m. Tuesdays on Fox and online at www.fox.com/hellskitchen. Find the show on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HellsKitchen, and on Twitter, @HellsKitchenFOX. Harris is on Facebook, www.facebook.com/NedraHK11, Twitter, @NedraHK11, and has a blog, www.chefnedra.com.

It's a steak and seafood place. I'm allergic to shellfish, so for me to be allergic to it and work in this restaurant is very different.

So how do you know if it tastes good?

I don't. I just cook from the heart. I just have to go off my smells. I've never got anything sent back that said it was nasty.

How is the San Antonio restaurant different from other Chart House locations around the country?

We're 750 feet in the sky. Not a lot of people are able to see the view from where I'm seeing it. We're the training store of our division, so our menu changes often, probably four or five times a year. We have 20 to 30 dishes on the menu, including seven steaks and seven types of fish.

What's the signature dish?

We're best known for our prime rib.

What's your favorite thing to cook?

Seafood gumbo. I don't know how it tastes, but I like all the colors. Gumbo is what you make of it. I'll make any gumbo — duck gumbo, smoked gumbo ... anything gumbo, I'm cooking.

How did you end up on “Hell's Kitchen”?

I applied before, but they said I was not old enough. Then in March of last year, I called again. The lady said to come in for an on-camera interview. I was so nervous. You go through the process, and then you don't say anything to anybody because you don't know what's going to happen.

What was it like after you were chosen? Tell me about those first few days on the show.

Just being there is an honor. First of all, I had no idea we were going to Vegas. They got us all on this trolley and said we were going for a ride, and I was scared because it felt like we were going to go on a roller coaster. They took us down this thing and then we popped up on stage in front of thousands of people. I had no idea I was going to be in front of a live audience, cooking my signature dish and meeting Chef Ramsay for the first time.

How were you able to even think about what you were making?

My mama raised a smart daughter. I had heels on, and to ease my mind, I went into my backpack and got my flip flops. That's all I was thinking — if I'd stayed in my heels it would've been wham, slam, bam, ma'am!

How'd you get along with Chef Ramsay?

When you're yourself, outgoing, and have passion for food, he can sense that from a mile away. Working with him is an experience of a lifetime. I would do it again three, four, five more times. I love him as a person and as a chef.